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Blog Archive - January 2016

Thorn Michaels (third-year lighting design graduate student) finds it easy to relate to Sasha, the central character in Melissa James Gibson’s Brooklyn Bridge, being co-produced by UW Drama and Seattle Children’s Theatre and opening next month.

“It’s a beautiful show, with an adult message.” says Thorn. “Growing up an only child with a single mother, like Sasha, I battled with loneliness. What I love about this play is that she learns to look to the people around her and in them finds support and community that is greater than the insular nature of the old-fashioned family.”

Thorn is the show’s lighting designer—- her thesis production—- and it’s a bit of a homecoming for her. She started taking classes at Seattle Children’s Theatre when she was 12, including studying directing with Brooklyn Bridge director...

Ben Gonio (PATP 2005) owns his own consulting business, teaches part-time at University of Washington Bothell, holds office hours at Startup Hall, continues to explore acting opportunities, and maintains a day job at Medex Northwest as part of a clinical team supporting medical education. After graduating with a BFA from Carnegie Mellon in 1998, Ben worked the regional theatre circuit and spent some time in Los Angeles before deciding to continue his acting studies in graduate school at the University of Washington School of Drama. He describes his post-graduation period of adjustment as “clunky.” Now he’s finding his niche as an artist in Seattle’s theatre community and as an artist in Seattle’s tech community.

What were your expectations going into grad school and joining the Seattle theatre community?